Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-01-17
BROKEN PARTS OF A SHIP
TAINIAGE NEEDS MORE ROOM
FOR HIS CONGREGAT

the Beach oi salvation.
BROOKLYN, Jan. l6.-For many years
the Brooklyn Tabernacle, the largest
Protestant church in America, has been
thrOnged twice on the Sabbath, every
available inch occupied, even the aisles,
pulpit stairs and doOrways, and multi
tudes going away unable to yet III. DR..
Talmage recently announced to his con-
gregation that, If the present building
could be sold for an Academy of Music,
another churcn, one holding 10000 peo-
pie, would be erected. This morning,
after eXpounding the Scriptures, he gave
out the hymn:
''Sinners turn, why will We dies
God, your Maker, as ks you why"
The SUBJECT OF the sermon was "Broken
Pieces of the Ship" and the text, Acts
xvii Al: "Some on Broken Pieces of
the Ship" Dr.. Talmage spoke as fol-
lows:
Never of Goodwin Sands, or the Skerries,
or Cape Hatteras was a shlp in worse DTcdiC-
ament than in the Mediterranean hurrirau
was the gram ship, on which two hundred
and Beventy-AlX passengers were driven on
tho coast OF Malta, FIVE miles from the me
tropoiis of that island, called C.tta Vecuhia.
AlttT TWO Weehs TEN pest anu tnb shlb W IS
entirely dis bled and captain and crew hal
hecOme completely dem0ralized, an Old mis-
slo0aTy took command or the vessel. He was
small, Gro pked-backed and sore eyed, accord
ing To tradi ion, tt was Paul, the only un-
scared man aboard. lie was no more afraid
of a EUrOClydon tossing the Mediterranean
sea, now u to the gates OF heaven and now
sinking t to the gates of hcii, ;apn he was
ara OF klRcn p'ayfIg with a atfrH& He
orhere0 hem all down To take their rauSps.
urst asking for them O blessing. Then
Wlnsured all their lives, telling them they
would he rescued, amt. 30 far from losing
their heads, they would not lose 40 much of
heir hair as you could cut off with one cl OK
Of the sclssors; ave. not a thread of Il,
whether 1t we're gray with age or golden with
.0uth. here -ha,l not hair fan from the
Knowing tndv they can never get to the
desired port, they make the sea on the four.
centh mig t black with overthrowu cargo, 50
that when the ship strikes IL will not STRIKE
AZ heavily. At davhreak they saw creek
and IN their eXlgency resolved 10 make for it
ANA s. they cut the cab e.. took in the two
paddles that they mad ON those old boats, and
holsIed the malusall SO that they might come
with such force as he driven high M on the
beach by some fortunate billow. m re sue
goes-tumbllng toward the rocks. now prov
oremost, now stern foremost, now rolling
over TO starboard, now wave dashes clear
over the deck. and 1t seems as If the old
craft has gone forever. But uD she
comes again. PauPs arm around mast he
those that sail with me-" Crash! went the
prov with such force that it broke off thu
mast. Crash! went the tlmbers iii the seas
rushed through from side 10 side Of the YES
sci. she paris amidships, and into a thons-
and fragments the vessel goes and into the
waves two hundred and seventy--ix immor-
tals are preclpitdted. Some of them hai
9een brought up on the seashore and had
learned TO swim. and with their chin lust
above the waves and bv stroke of bo h arms
and propulsion OF both feet, the put out for
the beach and reach it. But alas for hose
others! They have never learned tn swim or
they were wounded by the falling OF tn.
mast, or the nervous shock WAS too great for
hem. AMI Others had been weakened by
,ong sea-sckness.
Oh. what will become OF them? "Take
that piece OF rudder," SAYS Paul to one.
Take tn It fragment OF a spar" saws Paul TO
another. Take tnat table " Take thai
image of Castor AMI P0llux." Take that
plank from the lifebost." Take anything
and head for the beach, What struggle
for life In the breakers! Oh, the mercile-s
waters. how they sweep over the heads Of
men. women and children! Hold on there!
Almost ashore. keep up your couragel Re
member what Paul told You. There the re-
ceding wave on the beach leav in the sand
whole family! There craw- up out OF the
surf the centurion There another plank
comes in W lth a life clingink fast TO It. There
another iece Of The shattered ve rel with It's
lreghtage Of an lnm rtal so i. They must
by this time all be saved. Yes: there oomes
rest, the Old mi ,slOnary. who wrings the wa
ter from his gray beard and cries out:
''IhnDk God, ali are herr!"
Gather them around a fire and call tho roll
Paul builds II e, and wneu the bundles OF
sticks begin to cra;kle, aud standing aud SIT.
ting around the blaze, the passenger. gin
To recover from their chill, and the r vet
clothes begin To dry, and warmth begins TO
come into all the shiverng passengers let
the purser OF the vessel go round and sos II
any OF he poor creatures are missing Not
one OF the crowd that were plunged into the
-ca. How it relieves our anxiety rs we read
''SOme on broken piece5 of he shin, and so
It came to p Ass they all c-cA ped safe 10 and."
HavI' ON previous occasions 10 tKcd at the
other passengers, co fine myso tO-,iay to
an exam nation Of those who came in on
broken pie es of the ship. There is One
thing abiut them thaJ exCites in me
an intense INT rest. / am not
SWIM. They got ASHORE rs I
eNpDc ed. A mile Of water il not q very great
Undertaking for Il strong swimmer. 0r even
Two M lie. are not. BIT caunrt stop thiuk-
ing about those on broken pieces Of The ship.
Tue great Gospel ship is The finest vessel OF
the universe ana can carry more pass ngcrs
than any craft ever constructed, and you
could no more wreck IL than YOU could wreck
the throne of g I'd Almighty. ! wish all ihe
people would come aboard OF her could
not prom 81 smooth voyage, for Ofttmes 10
will be tsmpest u9us or Il chopped sea. but
could promise safe arrival Z r all who took
passage on thHt Great Ia tern, 70 called bv
me- because It's commander came out OF the
EGst, the star OF the East badge Of his au-
thurlty.
But vast multitude do not take regular
passage. Their theology Is broken IN D pieces.
aud their life Is broken in pieces, and their
habits are broken in pieces, and their worldly
aud spi itual prosDects are broken ia pieces.
and yet believe they are going 10 reach the
shining shore, ana ! am enCourFg. II by the
experience OF those people who arr suOkeu Of
In the text: "Somc on broken pieces OF the
ship"
One object in tins sermon h to encourage
all those who cannot ta8e the who c system
" religion IA We believe II, but who really
believe something, to come hore on hat one
PLANK. | do not underratc tue value Of u
great theological system, Dut where IN all the
Bible Is there ANYTHING that says: Believe In
John Calvin aud thou shalt nc saved; or be- |
lieve n Arminius and thou shalt be sAvei; or !
believe In the synod OF bort and thou shalt be |
saved; or believe 10 the Thirty nine Articles !
and thOu shalt be saved a man mag be !
or lhodOx aud 20 TO hell or hetcrodox AMI go !
TO heaven. The man who IN the deep affeO- |
ton Of his hoart accepts Christ Is saved. and |
tue man who does not accept him Is lost.
! believe in bon tno HeldeluCrS and West- |
minister catochltms and wish you all diu, |
but yOu may be teye In nothing they contain |
oXcep. the One idea that Christ came % save !
sinners, and that you are one Of them. ana !
YOU are instantly rescued. II YOU can come /
IN on the grand Old sh p, / would rather have |
you get aboard, but II you can fnd only a
piece Of wood as long as inc human body, or
a piece as vide a. the Outsprcad human arms,
anu either Of them Is 4 pioee OF the cross,
come M on that piece. Tens = thousands of
people are to-day kept out OF the kingdom OF
liDd because they cannot believe cvrrythinf.
I am talking " Tn man thou hlful about
4. 4